Cables are used within automotive vehicles and other apparatuses to transfer force and/or motion from one portion of the vehicle or apparatus to other portions of the vehicle or apparatus. Particularly, these types of cables are generally and respectively attached to a device and/or assembly which is desired to be moved and/or actuated, such as and without limitation a braking mechanism, a fuel door, or a hood or trunk latch. Typically, a cable lever or actuator is also coupled to each of these cables and is typically disposed at a location which is relatively remote from the respective device which is to be actuated. By depressing, lifting or otherwise activating the lever or actuator, force and/or motion is transferred through the cable to the device, thereby desirably actuating the device (e.g., activating the brakes of the vehicle, or opening the fuel door, hood or trunk of the vehicle).
While these cables do desirably allow such devices and/or assemblies to be selectively actuated, these cables typically "stretch", expand, and/or "wear" over time, thus resulting in an undesirable amount of looseness or "play" within the cables. These cables are also subject to certain manufacturing variances and certain manufacturing tolerance variations which may further add to the looseness or "play" of the cables (e.g., some of these cables may be longer than is required, specified, and/or necessary to achieve their actuation function or purpose). Looseness within these cables undesirably and adversely effects the operation of the devices which are desired to be actuated. For example and without limitation, looseness or "play" within these cables typically causes the devices which are respectively driven by the "loose" cables to fail to promptly and/or properly actuate.
Various devices and apparatuses have been used to compensate for and/or to substantially eliminate the "slack" or looseness of these cables and to maintain a desired amount of tension or tautness within these cables. For example and without limitation, manually adjusted "mechanical type" devices have been implemented into and/or "operatively placed" within these cable driven devices and assemblies and are used to manually and selectively adjust the length of these cables. Although these devices do tighten and provide tension within the cables, they suffer from some drawbacks. Namely, these devices are required to be manually operated and often require the services of a skilled technician or repair person, thereby causing and/or resulting in an undesirable expense to the owner of the vehicle. This requirement also undesirably prevents the vehicle or device from being used or operated while the cables are being adjusted or serviced. Moreover, the undesirable situation unabatedly continues until the owner/operator of the vehicle causes the vehicle to be serviced.
There is therefore a need for a method and an apparatus for providing and maintaining a desired amount of tension and tautness within a cable, which automatically maintains a desired amount of tension or tautness without intervention of the owner/user of the vehicle, and which does not substantially require manual cable adjustment.